Panthers fans have seen enough games go sideways late that you almost expect it. That's why Sunday in Philadelphia caught my attention. The Panthers didn't play a clean game, not even close, but when things got tight late, Carolina played pretty damn well.
The Panthers had 13 penalties for 149 yards, wiped out some big returns and did just about everything possible to keep the Eagles hanging around. Somehow, none of it ended up costing them. And the more I think about it, Philadelphia wasn't the first time we've seen Carolina play some of its best football late in a game.
Carolina Was Better When Philadelphia Made Its Push
The Panthers were up 13-7 late in the third quarter when they got the ball backed up at their own 6. This wasn't exactly great field position for a team that had spent most of the afternoon fighting penalties. Then Jalen Coker made one of the biggest plays of the game.
Carolina was facing third-and-9 from its own 10 when Bryce Young found Coker for 32 yards. Chuba Hubbard later broke a 19-yard run on fourth-and-1, and the Panthers eventually went 94 yards on 14 plays. Hubbard finished it off with the touchdown to give Carolina a 19-7 lead.
Philadelphia answered and cut it to 19-14 in the fourth quarter, and Carolina followed that by going three-and-out. Here came the Eagles again with a chance to take the lead, and we've all seen that movie before. This time, the defense got them off the field.
Tre Tyus nearly got to the punt, it went only nine yards and Carolina suddenly had the ball in Philadelphia territory. A few plays later, Young found Tommy Tremble for the touchdown. The Eagles had made their push, but Carolina never let the game get away from it.
That's probably what I liked most about those last few minutes. Everything didn't have to go right. Philadelphia scored, Carolina went three-and-out and the Eagles got the ball back with a chance to take the lead, but the Panthers still found a way to make the plays they needed.
That's Not What Happened in Cleveland
Cleveland is the reason I'm not going to say the Panthers have completely figured this out. Carolina took an 18-13 lead with 4:25 left after Young found John Metchie III for a touchdown. They had a chance to finish that game, too.
Akayleb Evans looked like he had the interception that might have done it, only for Bobby Okereke to get called for roughing the passer. Cleveland got another shot, scored and eventually won 21-18. There were four lead changes in the fourth quarter, and Carolina didn't make enough plays at the end.
That's why I keep coming back to what happened in Philadelphia. Three weeks after letting one get away in Cleveland, the Panthers found themselves in another tight game with an opponent making a late push. This time Carolina was the team making the plays at the end.
Maybe five games isn't enough to say this has become who they are. I'm not going that far yet. But I'm starting to think there's something to it.
Detroit Belongs in Here, Too
Detroit wasn't nearly as close going into the fourth quarter. Carolina was up 29-19, but there was still enough time left for the Lions to make things uncomfortable. Instead, the Panthers took the ball and basically made Detroit stand there and watch.
Carolina went 72 yards on 13 plays, took 5:44 off the clock and got a Ryan Fitzgerald field goal out of it. Nothing spectacular happened, but I loved that drive. You're up 10 in the fourth quarter, so keep the ball, burn almost six minutes and come away with points.
Detroit eventually scored to make it 32-26, but by then there wasn't enough time left for the Lions to get another possession. Carolina had already taken care of that with the drive to start the quarter. Sometimes that's all you need when you're trying to finish a game.
Maybe We're Starting to See Something
Dave Canales talked Monday about learning how to play with a lead. I don't know if I'm ready to say the Panthers have learned it yet, especially after what happened in Cleveland. But I do think they're getting better at it.
Sunday wasn't just Young making a play or Hubbard taking over. Coker made the third-down catch when Carolina was backed up, Hubbard got the fourth-and-1 and the defense got Philadelphia off the field when the Eagles had a chance to take the lead. Tyus nearly got to the punt, helping Carolina get the short field, and Young finished it with the touchdown to Tremble.
That's a lot of different guys showing up when Carolina needed somebody to make a play. For a long time, it felt like the Panthers needed almost everything to go right to win. One bad penalty, one bad possession or one big play by the other team could change everything.
Sunday definitely wasn't perfect. You don't get 13 penalties for 149 yards and call that a clean afternoon, but Carolina still walked out of Philadelphia with a 25-14 win. Maybe that's another sign this team is starting to figure out how to handle these games.
I'm not trying to turn a 3-2 start into something bigger than it is. Cleveland happened, there are 12 games left and I'm sure there are going to be a few more Sundays that drive all of us crazy. But I'm starting to feel a little different when these games get tight.
Instead of sitting there waiting for something to go wrong, I'm starting to wonder who's going to make the play.
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